This is for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association

Supports A Parents' Right to Refuse the Test!

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association would
like to publicly state that we support a parents' right to refuse state testing
for their children. As an education
activist organization of over 54,000 teachers and parents, we know that the
testing our children are subject to under corporate education reform is
harmful, invalid, and not being used as an instrument to further
instruction. We strongly object to any
education practice that is not rooted in sound pedagogy and is being used as a
weapon to harm children and their communities.
We most strongly object that these tests scores are being used to close
schools in our poor communities, which are also predominantly our communities
of color. As educators, we will never
support assessments that continue to marginalize, blame, and punish our
children and their communities. Therefore,
we strongly advise all parents to refuse their children from state testing.
When we deny education departments the data, they cannot use it against our
children, their communities, or teachers.
REFUSE THE TEST!

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association has also published a statement against the sit and stare policy. This abusive policy requires children, who
refuse state testing, to sit and stare for hours. Here is our statement on that policy: http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/02/bats-leadership-team-releases-statement.html